Are you getting prepared for the Persian New Year Nowruz? Part of this is spring cleaning, making sabzeh, and baking cookies. Shirini-e Zaban – Persian Puff Pastry شیرینی زبان, is besides of Cake Yazdi and Nan-e Nokhodchi, a popular and nostalgic sweet to treat guests on celebrations. In Farsi, Shirini means sweet, and Zaban tongue, as they have the shape of a tongue. Shirini Zaban is a traditional sweet from the city of Qazvin in Iran. It’s a simple recipe, all you need is ready-made butter puff pastry, butter, honey, rose water, and cardamom. The golden Shirini-e Zaban is quick to prepare, flaky and crispy and not too sweet. Once they come out of the oven, brush them with the honey-rosewater-glaze, and sprinkle them with ground pistachios, grated coconut, or sesame seeds, depending on your taste. With Nowruz just around the corner, check out my blog for plenty of Nowrooz recipes and ideas. View Video on Instagram
One of our favorite desserts is the Italian Tiramisu. For the National Day of Pistachio, I pimped the traditional dessert with a new look. Bye Bye retro style, Hello new cool look – Mini Pistachio Tiramisu Charlotte – تیرامیسو پسته . To make this look, place ladyfingers dipped in vanilla essence all around a jar and line the bottom with ladyfingers. A pistachio cream made of mascarpone is whipped creamy with white chocolate, cream, homemade pistachio butter, and caster sugar and layered with chopped pistachios and more ladyfingers. Fruity raspberries, white chocolate drops, and chopped pistachios finish off the new look. By the way, my Mini Pistachio Tiramisu Charlotte is eggless and alcohol-free. It’s not only an eye-catcher but also tastes perfect. Getting to that perfect result is quick and even easier than you think. Try this royal dessert for Norouz to treat your guests.
Mash polo rice with mung beans and meatballs ماش پلو is a typical dish from the city of Isfahan. It is also known as Kate Mash or Dampokhte Mash. You need for mashpolo mung beans, rice, saffron and dried dill. Soak the mung beans overnight or for at least 4 hours in water, which makes them cook faster. Mash Polo is a delicious vegetarian and vegan dish by itself. I served meatballs as a side dish along with it, feel free to serve chicken, fish or even fried eggs instead. Give it a try with a topping of caramelized onions, raisins, cinnamon and walnuts. A tahdig of lava bread completes the delicious dish. If you like Adas Polo you will also like Mash Polo.
It’s Veganuary and I made vegan pinto bean burgers with smokey flavors. Now you probably think a burger without meat, but does it taste good at all? Well, everyone here in this house is absolutely blown away. The vegan option is made with very simple ingredients and lots of flavor. A savory patty made of pinto beans, mushrooms, walnuts, parsley and chickpea flour is packed into the burger buns. Special spices provide a wonderful smoky aroma. They are topped with crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and sour burger pickles. They become juicy with pickled red onions or with a delicious onion jam. Add some ketchup or burger relish on top and the vegan delight in a healthier fast food version can begin. The vegan burger is plant-based, gluten-free, and simple and inspires vegans, vegetarians, and all those who find vegan not so great.
PERSIAN AND ORIENTAL FAMILY RECIPES BREAKFAST ACAI Smoothiebowl with Superfoods Cherry Berry Antioxidant Smoothie Bowl Pastrami-Sandwich New York Style Sfenj – Moroccan Doughnuts Warm ayurvedic cereals Valak Kuku – Wild Garlic Omelette DRINKS Basil Seeds Drink –Sharbate tokhme sharbati Detox Drink Saffron Iced Tea – آیس تی زعفران Sharbat-e Khakshir Nabat – Persian Summer Drink Sharbat-e Rivas – Persian Rhubarb Lemonade MAZEH Borani Esfenadj – Persian Spinach Yogurt Dip Borani Kadoo – Zucchini Yogurt Dip بورانی کدو Chicken Wraps persian style Chickpeas + Tahini = Hummus Creamy Wild Garlic Hummus with Crispy Flatbread Sticks Khorak-e Loobia Chiti – Persian Pinto Bean Stew لوبیا چیتی Kuku Kadoo Sabz – Persian Zucchini Frittata Puff Pastry Carrots with Turkish Carrot & Garlic Yoghurt Filling Salad-e Anar ba Morgh- Pomegranate Chicken Salad سالاد انار و مرغ Valak Kuku – Wild Garlic Omelette Zeytoon Parvardeh – Persian marinated Olives SALAD Bread salad with fresh herbs Fall Salad with Apple, Feta and Caramelized Pistachios Kisir – Turkish Bulgur Salad Oriental Chickpea-Couscous Salad Salad-e Anar ba Morgh– Pomegranate Chicken Salad سالاد انار …
My today’s recipe chicken liver in pomegranate jus with quince rings sweet potato puree and Dark Horse Wine is a real delicacy and could be an old oriental dish from the house of the Sultan. My pan-fried chicken liver is crispy on the outside and juicy rosy on the inside. It has a creamy texture and tastes simply delicious when combined with sweet quince caramelized in quince juice and honey and a creamy sweet potato purée. The crispy baked sage and the strong sweet and sour pomegranate jus, give the dish a unique flavor explosion! A perfect match is a strong red wine and in this case, a dry Zinfandel from Dark Horse goes perfectly with it.
Koofteh Rizeh – Lamb meatballs with mint in Tomato Sauce کوفته ریزه is also called Gheymeh Rizeh (قیمه ریزه), Kale Ghondjishki (کله گنجشکی) or Ghermez Rizeh (قرمز ریزه ). It is a traditional and popular dish from the marvelous city of Isfahan. These simple meatballs are prepared without any use of breadcrumbs, bread, or egg, and instead, chickpea flour is used. The meatballs are mixed with minced lamb, onions, turmeric, dried, and finely grated mint. Then the meatballs simmer in a spicy sauce made with tomato paste, onions, turmeric, and dried mint. Persian Sangak or Taftoon bread is commonly served with meatballs to soak up the tomato sauce. Serve with a bit of torshi (pickled vegetables) and everybody is satisfied. A filling dish that can be prepared quickly.
Are you looking for a tasty side dish for a special occasion? How about a bright and fragrant Vegan jeweled rice salad? This rice salad is based on the warm Persian jeweled rice. It’s the perfect summer dish that can easily be prepared in advance. It’s just perfect for a picnic as well as for a special feast or party. The colorful bright jewels in the salad are made of emerald (pistachios), ruby (barberries and pomegranate seeds), gold (saffron rice and carrots), and pearls (almonds). Fragrant saffron and warm spices like turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon add that special touch to my rice salad and will impress your guests. My Jeweled Rice Salad is a feast for the senses and transports you directly to the orient.
Sibzamini Tokhm-e Morgh – Baked potato and Egg Wrap سیب زمینی و تخم مرغ is typical street food from Urmia of northern Iran. It is also popular in Azerbaijan (Iran) and Tabriz, where it is called Yeralma Yumurta (یرالما یومورتا), which means wrapped with potato and egg. This wrap is found on any corner of the streets in Iran, as the ingredients are simple and very common. It is an all-time favorite for its taste and popularity. A feature of this dish is that the potatoes and sometimes the bread (Sangak) are prepared on small river stones. It can also be prepared with Lavash or Barbari Bread. In Iran, we call Street Food Ghazay-e Khiabani غذای خیابانی.
Samosa Bandari – سمبوسه بندری is very popular street food from Abadan, a city in southern Iran. We call it Sambooseh Bandari or Sambooseh Irani. Since it is a very popular snack or fast food for in-between meals, you can buy it, along with Sosis Bandari, Falafal, and Burgers everywhere in Persia. The great thing about Tehran is that you can get really good food in small and unimpressive snack bars. In my youth, we liked to go to a fast food restaurant either before or after the cinema and have crunchy samosas with a spicy sauce. My samosa version is vegan and is filled with potatoes, herbs, and spices. Recooking is highly recommended!
